Unlikely Alliances
by irishcookie
Summary: When Carly is kidnapped, uneasy alliances are formed to get her back. Set some time in last years big story regarding Stavros. S&C/Spencers/Cassadines, COMPLETE!
1. Part One

            Authors Note: This takes place in last year's timeline.  I posted it on a dare, if there is interest, the story is completed so I'll post once a day.  Just a few things to remember, Stavros Cassadine hasn't revealed himself yet.  He is lurking around as Lucien Cain.  Carly and Sonny got divorced, and Luke was cured of the disease.  He doesn't remember seeing Stavros.  If there are any things that aren't clear, I'll be happy to do my best to clear them up! Constructive criticism is welcome, flames will be ignored! Enjoy!

Part One

  Carly lay still and was quiet as possible. The room was cloaked in darkness and it was hard to tell if she was alone or not. If he was in the room, she wanted him to think that she was sleeping. Her one hand lay across her stomach and her blonde hair spilled across her face covering her eyes as she glanced around the room.

  Finally, she heard the door click and the feeling that she was alone came over her. She sat up in bed and reached over and turned on the bedside lamp. The sight of the room disgusted her. It was too dark and gothic. Plus, she hadn't really been allowed to leave it since she was brought here.

  But when was that?

 Carly estimated that it had been two days since she had been injected with something that rendered her unconscious. But she couldn't be sure. She hadn't seen a clock in the room at all, and thick black curtains usually covered the only window in the room.  She carefully crawled out of the huge bed, her feet sinking into the thick carpet. She made no sound as she walked across the room and touched the curtain. Pulling it back, she saw the outside from her prison for the first time. All she could see was darkness. That supported her two days theory.

 The most important thing for her to remember was not to panic. Panicking would get her nowhere, and she had to keep her head clear to deal with him.  Yelling as she had found out the day before would anger him. And she didn't want him angry.

  Did anyone notice she was gone?

  Now that she was no longer the wife of mobster Sonny Corinthos, Carly had dropped off the radar of Port Charles' society. Now that her face wasn't plastered on the front page every other week, no one seemed to care.

  Bobbie must know something was up. After all, Carly lived in apartment in her brownstone and traveled to work with her some days when she volunteered at the hospital. If Carly didn't come home from her walk in the park, Bobbie would know something was wrong.

  But would Bobbie realize what had happened?

  Carly knew her mother too well. If Carly were missing, Bobbie would run to Sonny and blame him. Didn't she realize that Carly had cut off all ties with Sonny? For once, Carly listened to her mother and had let Sonny go. She couldn't stand to look at his face anymore…see the hurt in his eyes.  She had grown tired of trying to convince him that she was sorry, and she was tired of being yelled at. She loved Sonny very much but the divorce was a good idea. She needed to move on, and not be stuck in the same rut she                 had been in for many months. She moved into the Brownstone and brought Michael home. She volunteered at the hospital just to give her something to do, and got more involved with her family.

  That's what got her into to this mess.

  Would she get out alive?

  With all this questions running through her mind, Carly didn't hear the door open.

  "My sleeping beauty is awake." The familiar voice said from behind her.

   Carly froze for a second and then turned around to face Stavros Cassadine.

                ****

  Bobbie leaned against the chair in her brother's office. "Sonny said that the mob has nothing to do with Carly's disappearance."

 "Of course he would say that." Luke told her. "Everything he says is a lie, Bobbie. Who else would have taken Caroline?"

 "Sonny thinks Carly ran off on her own."

 "Sonny is full of you know what." Luke wasn't ashamed in voicing his feelings for his niece's ex-husband. Since their divorce a few months ago, Luke had watched the spoiled brat he found turn into a woman he admired. 

 She was Spencer through and through; it had just taken him too long to figure it out. "She would never leave Michael. If Carly wanted out of this town, she would have taken him too."

 "I am really getting worried, Luke." Bobbie bit her lip. "Sorrel has been dead since summer, killed by his own daughter, and as far as I know Sonny has taken control of all of Port Charles. He might be telling the truth. If someone new wanted to threaten Sonny, why take his ex-wife? It's pretty obvious that Sonny doesn't want her anymore."

 Luke lit a cigar, something he did to think. "So, for now, we are ruling out that Carly didn't take off and it's not the mob. Who then?"

 Bobbie shook her head. "I don't know, Luke."

 Her brother shot out the next name that came to his head. "The Quartermaines."

 "What?" Bobbie cried.

 "We all know Junior wants Michael back and his little plot to send the Trojan horse by the name of Skye didn't work. He could be desperate Bobbie." Luke told her. "With Carly gone, a judge has no choice but to give the father total custody of Michael."

 "Okay, AJ will do anything to get Carly out of the way, but I doubt he would go that far." Bobbie said. "I really have to get home. Leticia is watching Michael. I know he knows that something is wrong. I want to be there for him."

 Luke watched his sister go. He had one more theory that he hadn't spoken out loud to her. "The Cassadines." He muttered to himself. He had been over a month since Tony had given him a cure for the virus that was ravaging his system. Since then he had struggled to remember the details of his actions while under its effect and how he came to be infected. All he remembered was Lucky had been the one, at Helena's command, to inject him. 

 He couldn't remember anything else…and didn't know of the danger Stavros posed.

 He grabbed his coat and got rid of the cigar. If Carly was being held by the Cassadines, Momma Cassadine was the first person to ask.

                ****

 Sonny put down the phone. No one knew anything.

 Bobbie had surprised him earlier that day, barging in and accusing his mob ties as the cause of the disappearance of her daughter. He was caught off guard. Carly was missing? Hadn't he just seen her in the park a few days ago, holding her son's hand as the two walked towards the playground?

 He had sat at his desk for an hour, trying to concentrate of work but thinking of her. Especially the day she had asked for a divorce. What had changed her mind? She had been fighting so hard and then she just gave up.  They had been through so much, and he had never expected to end like that. Somehow he saw them together forever but he was just too stubborn to attempt to trust her again.

 That didn't mean that he didn't care. If Carly disappeared without a trace then he would do his best to find her. Despite the fact that he was unsure of his feeling for her, Carly held a part of his heart. Not to mention she had a son that she loved deeply and who needed her.

 He was sure that no one connected to him at taken her. When Sonny was still hurting over her betrayal he made it known to the public that he was through with her. Taking her would not be of any use.

 Sonny picked up the phone again. Carly was in danger, he could feel it.

                ****

 Michael Quartermaine stood in the October sunlight; playing with an airplane his Uncle Sonny had given him. Leticia, the one stable person in his life, watched him carefully.

 She leaned against the railing, knowing in her heart that Michael was upset. He didn't talk as much and he wasn't eating very much. She knew that these things were directly linked to the disappearance of his mother. 

 She, herself, was worried sick. She and Carly had become friends since she had been hired to be a nanny to the infant Michael.

 She looked up when she heard someone approach.

 "What do you want?" She asked, immediately stepping between the newcomer and Michael.

 AJ Quartermaine held up a piece of paper. "I'm here for my son…and this time no one is going to stop me."


	2. Part Two

                CHAPTER TWO

"What is going on, AJ?" Leticia demanded. Michael wasn't even fazed. It wasn't like he would recognize his father. She held her position between father and son and showed no sign in backing down.

"This is a court order granting me custody of Michael in the absence of his mother." AJ thrust the paper in the nanny's face. "Starting right now."

Leticia didn't even bother to read the formality. She knew that it was legal. "Who said Carly is absent?" She asked.

"Come on, Leticia." AJ groaned, slipping the papers into his coat pocket. "Word gets around fast."

"As far as I know, and I do know a lot…" Leticia said crossing her arms. "The only ones who know so far that Carly is MISSING are Bobbie, and Luke and I am sure that neither of them would tell you."

"I have my sources."

"Maybe Luke was right." Bobbie said coming across the scene. "Maybe you had something to do with her disappearance."

AJ whirled around to face the angry grandmother. "Bobbie…"

"Do you even care that no one knows where Carly is?" Bobbie demanded. "That she disappeared without a trace."

"You know, this seems suspicious, AJ."  Leticia spoke up, feeling Michael leaning more into her legs. She knew that this wasn't a good place for the child but she wasn't going to let AJ rip him out of familiar surroundings without some sort of fight. "Carly doesn't come home from her walk Tuesday night and by Thursday morning you are demanding custody of Michael. Her whole family doesn't even know she is gone, AJ, and yet you somehow managed to find out. It really looks bad, AJ. Almost like you had something…"

"SHUT UP!"

Michael let out a screech at the sound of his father's angry voice. Bobbie came over and collected him; heading for the house, sensing the nanny was about to give AJ a piece of her mind.

"No, AJ, you shut up." Leticia's voice was quiet but there was no mistaking the anger behind it. "Do you even care that Michael knows something is wrong? He knows Carly didn't come home when she was supposed to. He knows that we are all worried that she might be dead. Have you even thought about that one, AJ? Carly might be DEAD! Like it or not, Carly has been Michael's only stable parent…"

"And whose fault is that?'

"Didn't I tell you to shut up?" Leticia asked. "Michael needs Carly. And if she can't be there for him, then he needs to be in a stable environment. How would you like it if you had lost the only person you know and then to top it all off someone rips you out of the home you've been in for months and places you in the middle of the hell house that you Quartermaines call home."

"Now you listen." AJ said. "How would you like it if you had a son that you wanted to love and have look up to you but you couldn't even be in the same room with him? What if you had to watch him from afar as he learned to walk and talk and know that he would never even know who you are? What if something happened to his father and you saw your chance to claim the boy that you loved since you first laid eyes on him? You would take it, wouldn't you? I don't like Carly but I wouldn't do anything to put her in harms way.  I just want to get to know my son."

If Leticia was moved, she didn't show it. "If you are determined to rip Michael out of his grandmother's arms, there is one condition."

"You're his nanny, not his mother."

Leticia gave him a warning look. "I'm coming with." She said. "Michael is going to need someone stable in his life, and right now, I'm all you got.  Plus, someone has to be there to make sure that Edward or you don't corrupt him against his mother."

"I can deal with that." AJ said. "But remember, I will be signing you paychecks so watch your mouth."

"I don't want your money, AJ." Leticia said. "I just want Michael to know that someone loves him. And the Spencers should be able to see him. He is their family too." 

"Carly kept me from him, why can't I return the favor?"

Leticia almost screamed in frustration. "You don't get it, do you? I am thinking about Michael and you are thinking of yourself. Michael loves them. Do you want to deny your son of someone he loves because you don't like them?"

"Carly did it to me."

"You sound like a record. Michael doesn't know you." Leticia put it simply. "And therefore, doesn't even know what he is missing."

AJ had just about enough of the mouthy nanny. "Let's just get Michael to his new home, alright?"

Leticia entered the Brownstone first. She could hear Bobbie's voice. "So there is nothing we can do. Alright, well, thank you for your time." The sound of the phone hanging up was the only sound as AJ and Leticia came into the room.

Michael sat on the floor, still playing with the airplane. AJ didn't even give Bobbie a second glance as he leaned down and picked up his son. Immediately, Michael began to wail, reaching out for Leticia and his grandmother.

Disappointed at his son's reaction, he carefully handed him to Leticia who did her best to sooth him.

Bobbie bit her lip, trying not to cry. "I'll go pack him an overnight back."

"Good idea." AJ said, watching the calming effect Leticia had on him with jealously. "I'll send someone over for the rest of his things tomorrow."

She returned a few moments later, holding a bag, which she handed to her grandson's father. He motioned for Leticia to bring Michael and headed out of the Brownstone.

Leticia looked back at Bobbie. "Don't worry. I'll make sure that nothing. I'll make sure that nothing in his short stay in the mansion. As soon as Carly returns, I'll pack his stuff."

"I know you will." Bobbie kissed Michael's forehead and watching them leave. Sitting down on a chair, Bobbie sighed. She felt like she had just lost both her daughter and grandson for good. "Carly, where are you?"

                ****

"You heard me, Queen of the Damned. Now turn and face me." Luke demanded as he closed the space between them on the docks. He had spent a good part of his afternoon looking for the witch and had of course found her lurking on the docks. He called out to her but she refused to answer, to he had resorted to name-calling.

Helena slowly turned to face her enemy. "Luke, must you always call me by such vile names. I never seem to forget yours."

"I haven't got the time for pleasantries." Luke said. "I am here for one thing only. I am here for my niece."

"Niece…" Helena appeared to be thinking. "Carly Corinthos."

"Spencer." Luke corrected. "Carly Spencer. She hasn't found her way home in a few days and I'm beginning to think you had something to do with it."

"Whatever would I want the ex-wife of a childish mobster for?" Helena asked. "You are losing your touch, Luke. I would have thought you'd think of better things to accuse me of. Carly is a Spencer, true, but she is not the Spencer I want abolished." She reached up and stroked Luke's face. "We both know who that is."

"Too bad your little virus didn't work."

"You never did share with me the secret of how you recovered." Helena purred.

"I guess I am just lucky, that's all." Luke removed her hand from his face, keeping a tight grip on her wrist. "It wouldn't be the first time you've made a Spencer disappear for ulterior motives. If you have done something with Carly, I'll find out. Then I'll find her. And believe you me; once Carly is safe, there will be hell to pay. You've messed with my family for the last time!"

Helena pulled her wrist away. "Luke, you have got to stop being so paranoid. You're son is back to normal and your ex-wife has become your wife again. Your daughter is growing quite marvelously and your sister and her son are the same. Just because your niece decided to run off doesn't give you the right to accuse me of some terrible deed. We Cassadines are responsible for every mishap that befalls the Spencers." She turned away from him and walked into the shadows.

Luke shook his head and turned away.

Stefan was now standing on the other side of him. "What has my mother done now?"

                ****

Carly pushed away her plate. She had eaten very little, just enough to keep her strength up, but not enough to kill the feeling of hunger she had in her. She could feel Stavros watching her from across the table, but did not look up.

"I know you are hungry, Caroline." He said quietly. "Why fight it?"

Carly's voice was low. "How do I know you haven't poisoned it?"

Stavros laughed one of his exaggerated laughs. "Did you not see the servant place the food on my plate from the exact same dish as yours came from? Is there no trust at all between us?"

 "Why should there be?" Carly shot back, keeping her voice at a reasonable level. "You stalked me for weeks now that I think of it. You were the one outside the Brownstone all those nights. Here I thought it was AJ, but it all makes sense now. You watched me like some sick voyeur as I played with my son, and talked with my mother and my friends. And then you drug me and drag me to God knows where."

 Stavros' temper was reaching the boiling point. He stood up from his chair and walked around the table. Leaning over, Stavros' voice was in her right ear. "There is a connection between us, Caroline. You may not feel it now, but you will come to feel it. You will do well to remember that you are my guest in my home and not the other way around." She was roughly pulled to her feet. He nodded to the servant by the door. "David will return you to your room."

Carly pulled herself from his grasp and followed the older man out of the room. When she had heard the lock on her door turn, she felt safe to let her guard down. Leaning against the door, Carly felt the tears streaming down her face. "Please help me." She whispered to the empty room. Not like anyone would hear her anyway…


	3. Part Three

CHAPTER THREE

Sonny sat up in bed. Carly was still on his mind. That evening he had called various people around the world that owed him something and each of them promised to help in the search for his ex-wife. He knew they were all confused. Hadn't Sonny told them that it was all over? It didn't matter what they thought, as long as Carly was found safe.  He didn't want to believe what he told Bobbie. Carly would never abandon her son like she had before. Over the last few months, she had grown into the woman Sonny had wanted her to be. Too little to late…

But Carly might still be the spur of the moment woman he had met. What kind of grand scheme was he pulling now?  He shook his head. No, Carly would never leave her son! 

There must be something he could do. Looking at his clock, he saw it was 10:00pm. He had only been asleep for an hour before the feeling that Carly was in danger woke him. 

He crawled out of bed, just as he heard the knock on the door. 

"Don't worry Carly." He said to himself. "I am going to find you."

                ****

            Luke's guard immediately went up again. "What hasn't your mother done?"

Stefan ignored the sarcasm. "I wish for once, Spencer, that you would remember that I hate my mother and I would do anything to make her pay. She has made Nikolas' life a living hell, not to mention your son Lucky. How is Lucky?"

"De-programmed and out of Cassadine clutches." Luke answered quickly. "And Nikolas?"

"I could say the same thing." Stefan said, referring to the fact that Nikolas dropped his charade of becoming the perfect Cassadine as soon as Lucky was safe. "You have left Mother alone since she released her hold on Lucky. What has changed that all of a sudden?"

"Your mother has decided that she wants another Spencer toy.  And this time, I am not going to let Helena get away with it." Luke vowed.

"Lulu?"

"If she laid a hand on my daughter, I would have done more than grab her." Luke informed him. "Bobbie's daughter decided not to come home the other night…or rather, someone decided for her."

"Barbara's daughter, Caroline." Stefan frowned. "What would my mother want with her?"

"Perhaps she wants to have a girl talk." Luke was frustrated. "I don't know. Does she ever have to have a good reason for wanting to harm my family? She's twisted and sick. Maybe she plans on frying Carly's brain like she did Lucky's."

Stefan watched as the man he had hated for a good part of his life start to leave. "I'll do what I can."

"What did you say?" Luke asked.

"I said, I'll do what I can to make sure that no harm comes to Barbara's daughter."

"Why?"

"I'm not a monster Spencer. Like you, I am tired of seeing innocent people hurt." Stefan walked away.

Luke did the same minutes later.

                ****

Leticia yawned. It had been a long first night in the Quartermaine mansion. Michael was finally asleep in his new room, which really only consisted of a bed and a dresser. One of the servants was being sent to Bobbie's to collect a few more of his                things. 

Michael, as she had predicted, was confused by his sudden departure from the Brownstone and had spent most the night awake and in a bad mood. It didn't help that every Quartermaine had to jump him as soon as Leticia had crossed the threshold.

She knew it…Michael had been through too much too fast. It was now day number three of Carly's disappearance. Later she would call Luke to see if he had found anything out, and then Bobbie, to tell her how Michael was. 

Tired from staying up all night with the boy, Leticia was surprised to find herself the first one in the living room. She remembered before everyone crowded in there to exchange insults. 

Pouring herself a cup of coffee, she heard part of a conversation drifting in from outside.

"…the longer Carly is gone, the better. It increases my chances of keeping Michael under this roof."

"This is better than our plan, AJ. Who could have predicted that Carly would screw up on her own?" 

Leticia put down her cup and walked out to find AJ and Skye talking. "Being taken against her will is hardly screwing up on her own." She told Skye.

"Who is this?" Skye asked. 

"This is Michael's nanny, Leticia." 

"Well, fire her." Skye demanded.

"I'm part of a package deal right now." Leticia informed the other woman. "I come free with the child."

"Skye, Michael needs to have some familiarity in his life. Right now, Leticia is the best bet." He then turned to Leticia. "But as soon as Michael gets used to living with this family, you're gone."

"Michael won't be under this roof long enough." Leticia said. "As soon as Carly is found, Michael and I will be back at the Brownstone, where we belong." She didn't even wait for a reply, walking back into the living room.

Picking up the phone, she dialed Luke's. They had to find Carly fast or she was going to lose Michael for good!

                ****

"So, you are 100% sure that we can't do anything?" Sonny asked Alexis again.

"I am 100% sure that I can't do anything, Sonny. I'm sorry; I know how you didn't want Michael to get mixed up in that family." Alexis frowned. "If Carly is gone, AJ gets custody of him. If you two were still married, then it would be a whole different situation."

 Sonny groaned a little. This just kept getting worse and worse. Last night after he was woken with thoughts of Carly, Bobbie showed up for the second time that day to let him know AJ had taken Michael. "If you think of anything that would place Michael back at the Brownstone then let me know."

 "I will." Alexis turned to leave. When she reached the door, she turned back and reached in her purse. Pulling out a slip of paper, she thrust it at him. "Before I forget, here is my new home phone number in case anything new happens. Call me when you find Carly. She might need some help reclaiming Michael."

 Sonny shook his head as he laid the paper on his desk. "I still don't think you should have married him."

 "I love him." Alexis opened the door. "Keep telling me things like that and you'll be calling me Mrs. Jacks."

 Sonny smiled for the first time in days.

                ****

 Carly's sanity was slowly slipping. She carefully picked up a rather expensive looking vase and then with all her might, heaved it against the opposite wall. Her eyes lit up with glee as she watched it shatter into many pieces. Looking around her prison she contemplated what else she could throw. 

 The door opened and David was standing there. He looked at the shattered heirloom and then back at Carly.

 "It was really ugly." Carly shrugged.

 "You will pay for that." David promised, advancing on her.

 "DAVID!" A new voice entered the room. A voice that made everyone who heard it shudder with fear. "You are not to lay a hand on her." 

 Carly looked over David at Stavros. He too was examining the broken vase. "What is the meaning of this?"

 "Have you ever felt trapped?" Carly asked simply.

 "As a matter of fact, I have." Stavros smiled a little. "And my reaction was quite similar. Perhaps, you would like a stroll around the grounds."

 Carly stood up from the bed. "Of course." She said. Anything to get out of the room with the four same walls staring at her. 

 Stavros looked at David. "Clean this up." He offered Carly his arm. 

 Carly hesitated for a moment then linked her arm with his.  Like her situation with Sorel, if she could get him to at least trust her a little then she might have a chance of coming out it alive.

 ****

 Helena put down phone. "Damn him!"

 Andreas immediately appeared. "Something wrong?"

 "It appears my suspicions were right." Helena turned to her manservant.                    

 "Stavros has Ms. Spencer." Andreas concluded for her.

             "Yes it seems he has." Helena frowned. She knew after their failed plan to kill Luke Spencer, Stavros had changed. He no longer told her anything and instead she had to have him followed to find out what he was up to. Lately he had begun wandering off at night and when Helena questioned him about it, he told her that he was visiting his love. Helena thought he meant Laura but somewhere along the way, Stavros had replaced her with Carly. 

             "What are we going to do?" Andreas asked.

             "If Sonny Corinthos gets involved, which I know he will, sooner or later he will find my son." Helena said. "And my secret will be revealed. I had such high hopes for this new plan of ours, but Stavros' desires have gotten in the way. I have to find to reason with him before Mr. Corinthos gets to close."

             "What if he won't listen?" 

             "Then I will have to remove the object of his obsession." Helena turned to face Andreas. "I'll have to kill Carly."


	4. Part Four

Part Four

      Carly found herself standing next to Stavros in a rose garden that made Lila's look like a simple flower arrangement. She carefully reached out and picked one, without realizing what she was doing. 

      "Do you like roses?" Stavros asked.

     "I'm not sure. My ex-husband's grandmother kept a garden…it was a lot smaller than this one." She lifted it to her face and inhaled it's sent.

     Stavros' face was noticeably darker. "Mr. Corinthos."

    "No." Carly said. "AJ Quartermaine."

    "The father of your son."

    Carly froze when he mentioned Michael. She didn't want him even thinking of her precious boy. "Yes and the most annoying man on earth." She turned back to the roses, trying to hide the pain of being separated from Michael.

   The darkness disappeared from his face. He was glad to hear that she hadn't classed him as the most annoying man on earth. "This rose garden is nothing like the one that is on the island in Greece.  I'll have to show you some time."

 Carly filed that comment away in her memory. They weren't on the 'famous island in Greece'. Of course, that's where Laura was kept. If anyone ever thought of the Cassadines as possible suspects, the island in Greece would be the first place they would look. She felt the hot sun beating down on her. It was obvious that they were still close to the equator. It was never hot like this in October, not even in Florida. Perhaps, another island…all this had to be remembered in case she could make contact with anyone. She turned back to her captor. "I would like to see the roses there some day."

Stavros appeared to be pleased. He again offered her his arm.  "How about I show you the beach next?"

Carly nodded. "I would like that too." She said as she tucked the rose into her hair. Trying her best to smile, Carly took his arm.

 ****

Leticia rounded the corner of Lila's rose garden. She wasn't sure if Michael was playing hide-and-seek for fun or because he was scared. "Come on Michael, this isn't funny." She called quietly. She didn't want to alert the Quartermaines to the fact that Michael may be missing. 

Finally, she spotted him in a clearing up ahead…and was horrified to see a set of arms reach down and pick him up. Her mind went through a quick recount of who was where as she closed the distance between her and the child. When she had left the living room, all the Quartermaines were engrossed in an ELQ meeting. She didn't know any servants who dressed like that. 

"Just what do you think…" She cut herself off when she saw the boy in arms of a familiar man. "Johnny! You scared me there for a second." She reached out and touched Michael's hair. "Promise me that you won't run off like that again."

The little boy nodded and clung closer to Johnny. It had been months since he had seen the bodyguard but obviously remembered him. 

Leticia smiled at the sight…big rough and tough Johnny holding the little boy. "What are you doing here?"

"Sonny wants to me watch out for Michael…and you." Johnny added.

"Is he in danger?" Leticia asked.

"Sonny just wants to be on the safe side." Johnny looked at the tiny child in his arms.

"So he is looking for Carly." Leticia shook her head a little. "I knew it."                  

 "What?" Johnny asked.

            "I knew he still loved her." Leticia muttered. "Now why did he have to wait until now to realize it?"

            Johnny couldn't agree more. "Let's hope it's not too late."

            "Michael, Leticia…" The familiar voice of Skye echoed through the rose garden. 

            Johnny handed Leticia the boy. "No one can know I'm doing this."

            "Right." Leticia smiled a little. Johnny quickly hid behind the nearest bush as the newest long lost Quartermaine came into view.

            "There you are." Skye said, completely ignoring Leticia and taking Michael out of her arms. "We are going to have a magnificent supper in your honor." She began walking back towards the mansion. 

            She cast a fleeting glance back at the other woman. "I guess you are invited too."

            Leticia almost lunged at Skye and would have if Johnny hadn't grabbed her ankle. "Thanks."

            "That's what I'm here for." Johnny mumbled from behind the bush.

                ****

            Lucky opened the door of his room at Kelly's. He was surprised to see Luke standing there. It was getting close to early evening, dusk was hitting and in the dim light of hallway, he could tell his father was worried. He glanced back at Elizabeth who was sleeping in his bed, after working a shift downstairs. "What's wrong?"

            "Want to go downstairs and have a cup of coffee?" Luke asked.

            Lucky quietly shut the door and followed his father downstairs. Luke chose the table in the corner and motioned for the waitress to fill their cups. "How things with you?" 

            "Fine, great, good…" Lucky said quickly. "Just tell me what's wrong."

            "I need you to try and remember something." Luke sipped his coffee. "I wouldn't ask you this unless it was a good reason, but I need you to try and remember some of the places Helena held you."

            Lucky frowned. "What's the good reason?"

            "Carly is missing." Luke said. 

            Lucky sat back. "How long?"

            "This is day number three." Luke told him. "We started to realize something was wrong yesterday."

            "And you think that the Cassadines have something to do with it?" Lucky was almost going to tell his father to give up on the thought that the Cassadines were behind everything but he knew he was probably right. Helena was hell bent on destroying his family…Carly might be the first victim. He felt a knot building in his stomach. 

            He had grown close to Carly when she had started to make in effort to be a part of the Spencer flock. She even tolerated Elizabeth. "Are we sure it's the Cassadines?"

            "That's our best bet." Luke said. "Bobbie and I went over the theories. Caroline didn't skip town. The mob doesn't want her. The Quartermaines just aren't that ruthless. What else could it be?"

            "I see your point." He bit his lip. "What exactly do you want me to remember?"

            "If Helena got her stashed away somewhere, it is possible you were in the same place." Luke pointed out. "Can you remember anything at all about you time with Helena?"

            A hand fell on Lucky's shoulder. Elizabeth looked down at her future father-in-law. "Why do you want to drag up that mess, Luke? It's in the past, leave it there."

            Luke looked up at the woman his son loved. She would try her best to protect Lucky from pain for the rest of her life, he guessed. "Elizabeth, if you would have opened those baby blues earlier you would have heard me say that I wouldn't ask him something like that if not for a good reason."

            "Carly is missing." Lucky filled her in. "We think the Cassadines have her."

            Elizabeth almost rolled her eyes. "Maybe she skipped town again."

            There was the problem. Carly tolerated Elizabeth but Elizabeth didn't tolerate Carly. 

            "Without Michael?" Lucky asked her. He looked back at his father. "I can't just sit here and think. I'll need a little time. In the meantime, I'll talk to Nikolas. When he was pretending to be in with Helena maybe she told him a thing or two that would be useful."

            "Good idea." Luke said. He glanced at his watch. "I promised I would meet Bobbie at my club to tell her if I found anything."

                ****

            Carly could soak in the tub for hours. She wanted to wash away any trace of him. She knew the places where he had touched her were clean. She had scrubbed bother her arms furiously but she couldn't clean away the awful feeling she had after pretending to warm up to him. 

            They had spent a few hours on the beach, staring out at what she thought was the Mediterranean Ocean. She wasn't sure but that was her best guess. Stavros had talked mostly, about everything. How Laura had been too lovesick for Luke for him to want her back. How his son had deceived Helena, making him proud that Nikolas could pull off such a daring scheme. How when he saw her he knew that they would be together.

            That part scared Carly.

            She knew that she was dealing with a total lunatic when he started talking like that. She had said nothing. She just pretended to be interested in what he was saying.  She pretended that she liked to walk along the beach with him. She had attempted to pump him for information on their location but he was coy and continued pouring out his twisted emotions.  She was so frustrated at that point.  She wanted to hit him…to scream at him until he agreed that she could go home.  But she didn't.  Instead she thought of Michael.  Knowing that he was waiting for her back home kept her from lashing out…from getting herself hurt.

            Drying off, dressing and then crawling into bed, Carly fought hard to keep herself from crying to sleep like she had did the first two nights. She had to tell herself that she would get through this and she would see her son again. She closed her eyes and her family filled her mind. They had to be worried…they had to be looking for her…they had to find her.

            Before she did something she regretted.

                ****

            Bobbie entered Luke's club after she left the hospital. She had requested time off from Alan. Knowing she was worried about Carly, he allowed it and tried to tell her how Michael was. She remembered telling him that she already knew…Leticia was with him, and that was all that mattered. She was angry with Alan for allowing his son to snatch Michael at the first available moment.

            Of course, Luke wasn't anywhere in sight. Neither was Claude or Roy, so Bobbie crossed the empty room and headed back the hallway to her brother's office.

            Bobbie opened the door, immediately noticing the man sitting in the chair. She frowned. "What are you doing here?" She demanded.


	5. Part Five

Part Five

              Stefan held his hands up in defense. "I came to see Luke."

              Bobbie looked at her ex-husband in suspicion. "Unless I missed something, you and Luke aren't exactly drinking buddies."

              Stefan's face showed a little amusement. "Sarcasm doesn't become you, Barbara." 

 "How did you get in here?" Bobbie asked.

            "The bartender…Claude, isn't it?" Stefan asked. "He told me Luke was out and I told him I would wait. He showed me in."

           "Okay." Bobbie crossed her arms. "Answer my original question, what are you doing here?"

            "I know Caroline is missing." Stefan said.

           "And are you hear to confess?" Bobbie asked, her temper rising. "What have you family done to my daughter?"

"Barbara, I'm on your side." He said. "I am only here to help."

            Bobbie was a little confused as she sat in another seat next to him. "Why would you do that?"

"This is going to sound strange, but I am no longer the man I used to be." Stefan admitted. "Chloe Morgan taught me many things and the most important of them is there is nothing to be gained from the suffering of innocent people. Caroline Spencer has done nothing to me and I am sure she has done nothing to my mother. I want to help locate her."

Bobbie was touched. She smiled a little at him. "Thank you." She whispered. "Because we need all the help we can get."

Stefan smiled back. He was glad that just for a brief moment the pain in her eyes seemed to disappear. She must love her daughter very much.

The door opened again and Luke stood there. He surveyed the scene was concern. His baby sister and Ghoul Man sharing an intimate moment. Clearing his throat, he turned to Stefan. "You back already?"

"I wanted to share with you what little I have found out already." He told Luke as the other man sat in the chair across from them. "I checked the most obvious place first…the island in Greece. I was told no one has showed up there since I went there last year. As well, no one is scheduled to show up. I checked various other places that the Cassadines own: estates, land or business and everywhere was the same. No sign of her now and no notice of her coming."

"If Helena has Carly, wouldn't she have told the servants to keep their traps shut in case people like me get suspicious?" Luke asked him.

"I have an informant on every staff. I know how to play the game against my mother." Stefan defended his answer.

"What about the old bird herself?" Luke asked.

"She is hasn't been very active lately." Stefan told him. 

"But I am going to get some answers from Andreas soon."

"How?" Bobbie asked.

"Any way I can." Stefan looked at her. He was letting her know that he would use violence if he needed too.

"I talked to Lucky." Luke spoke up. "He is going to try and remember some of the places Helena whisked off to. He isn't sure if he can remember but he'll do his best. He mentioned talking to Nikolas to see if Helena said anything when he was pretending to be in the family."

At the mention of Nikolas, Stefan's head shot up. "I do not want him involved."

"He is not going to get involved actively." Luke reasoned with him. "If he can tell us something we didn't know before then it'll be worth it. After what he did for Lucky, I wouldn't ask him to put himself directly in the path of Helena again."

"Is that it?" Bobbie asked.

"That's all we can do for now." Luke told her. He watched her shrink back in her seat. "I know this is hard, Bobbie but remember something. We got Sonny looking too."

"You asked him to?"

"No, but we all know that the jerk still loves her so as soon as you accused him, he was on the phone trying to track her down." Luke said. "We'll find her Bobbie, safe and sound."

                ****

Carly sat across from Stavros at the breakfast table. Mostly she was staring out tat the crashing ocean through the huge window that lined the wall. She couldn't see any other land. All she saw was blue water.

"There is no other land for miles." Stavros spoke up as if he was reading her mind.

"I wasn't looking for land." Carly lied. "I was looking at the water and thinking about how much I would like to swim."

"Swim?"

"Yes." Carly answered. "I grew up in Florida, near the beach. Everyday if it was warm enough I would go swimming. For some reason, that beach reminds me of my childhood." Carly knew she was basically feeding Stavros. He would be happy to hear things from her childhood. "My friend and I never missed a day. How about you? Do you like to swim?"

"I honestly can say that I can't swim." Stavros told her. "I never learned. Mother told me I had more important things to do."

Carly was startled by the sound of a cell phone. She hadn't seen a phone on her tours around the house and was beginning to think they were totally isolated. She watched as he pulled out a cell phone.

"Lucien Cain." He spoke.

Carly looked away, pretending to be interested in the ocean again.

"Gia!"

Carly's head whirled back. He was speaking with Gia?

"It's lovely to hear from you as well. I am sorry that I am out of town again…" He frowned. "I understand. Good luck with your young prince. If you ever need a shoulder to cry on, you know this number." He placed the phone on the table. 

"Gia?" Carly asked.

"There is absolutely nothing between us, Caroline." He assured her. "She needed someone to talk to after my son broke her heart and I was there."

"And she didn't recognize you?" Carly's eyes ran over the phone. She needed to use it.

"No she didn't. Funny, I wonder why Nikolas didn't show her a picture of me." Stavros sighed. "Never mind. How would you like to go for that swim?'

Carly nodded. "I would like that very much."

Stavros stood and extended his hand, which Carly reluctantly took. She looked back as they left the room. Stavros has left his cell phone on the table!

                ****

Nikolas opened the door of the cottage after the knocking became too much for him. Standing on the other side was Lucky and Elizabeth. Both took in his appearance and immediately understood.

"You still haven't told Gia the truth." Lucky said as he and his future wife entered his brother's home. "It's been months…"

 "I know." Nikolas said. "But just as I worked up the nerve to tell her, she left for Deception tour. She is getting back tomorrow."

 "Are you going to tell her then?" Elizabeth asked.

 "I might…"

 "He won't." Lucky told her. "What is wrong with you man? You love Gia. Why can't you try and win her back?"

 "She won't have me." Nikolas admitted. "She called my bluff right after Luke almost ruined our plan for good. She asked me if what I was doing was for you Lucky and if it was all just a farce. I should have told her then. But I threw another lie into her face, thinking that it would protect her. I didn't see that she could do it all on her own."

 "Nikolas, Gia loves you. She'll hear you out." Elizabeth said.

 "She has someone new." Nikolas sank down on the couch. "Lucien Cain…what kind of name is that? Sounds like some rich snob."

 Lucky bit his tongue.

 "Look, Nikolas, stop moping. At least plead your case, that way you'll know for sure." Lucky told his brother. "Now for why I am really here. Did Helena mention anything about my cousin Carly?"

 "Sonny's ex-wife?" Nikolas asked. "Blonde, runs her mouth a lot…"

 "That's her alright." Elizabeth ignored the glare Lucky shot at her. 

 "Yeah, Sonny's ex-wife…more importantly, my cousin." Lucky said. "She's missing and the only thing we can come up with is Helena has her."

 "But why?"

 "I don't know." Lucky said. "We both know Helena wants everything with Spencer blood in it destroyed. Maybe she took what she considered the least valuable Spencer first."

 "All Helena told me was that we would be taking down our enemies. It is possible that Helena has Carly." Nikolas said. "But I am sorry she didn't tell me anymore."

 "It was worth a shot." Lucky sighed. He knew that their leads were disappearing fast. "If you can think of anything at all, let me know!"

 "I will." Nikolas walked the couple to the door. "I hope you find her before anything happens."

 "We will." Lucky vowed. 

                ****

 Carly pulled a sundress on over the swimsuit. She didn't even want to know how Stavros Cassadine knew her size. Her first day as his prisoner he had showed her closets of clothes…all in her size. 

 She then walked back to the hallway where Stavros waited. Looking down at her feet, she sighed. "I left my sandals in the dining area." She turned on her heel. "I'll only be a moment."

 She knew David was on her heels so when she reached the dining room she turned and spoke sweetly to him. "David, I noticed that there was a fruit drink in the kitchen when I walked through it yesterday. You wouldn't get some ready to take to beach with Stavros and me."

 "I don't know…"

 "I am not going anywhere." She promised. "I can't get out of this house without passing you, Stavros, or one of the many servants." She gave him an icy glare. "Stavros told you to respect what I wish, and I wish to have something to drink after my swim!"

 David sighed and went to do what she asked. He knew Stavros would be angry with him if he didn't respect Carly's commands. 

 As soon as David had disappeared, Carly's hands wrapped around Stavros' deserted cell phone…and her mind went blank! She couldn't remember Bobbie's phone number, or Luke's, or Sonny's. Carly cursed modern technology and the ability to program numbers into the phone. Finally, her mind found a number. Not even remembering whose it was, Carly pressed it in. She only had a few short seconds. "Come on, pick up!" She demanded.

 Finally, she heard a voice. 

 "Alexis Jacks speaking."


	6. Part Six

Part Six

"Alexis!" Carly cried, never happier to hear the voice of the woman who helped Sonny with the divorce.

  "Carly?!" Alexis' voice was full of shock. "Where are you?"

  Carly began to panic. David would return soon and she had to get the message out as soon as possible. "He has me on an island…not the same one Laura was on but it might be close. It's really hot here and the water…well, I think it's the Mediterranean Ocean!"

    "Who has you?" Alexis demanded.

    "It's S…" Carly felt the phone being ripped from her hands. 

    She screamed as it shattered against the wall. She turned to face Stavros.

    "What do you think you are doing?" Stavros asked. "I came to see if you have found your sandals and I find you holding the phone."

    Think fast, Carly. He only saw you holding the phone. He smashed it so he won't know whom you called. "I just wanted to call and hear Michael's voice." She told him. "I wasn't going to say anything. I was just going to him say something and then hang up. I called my apartment in the Brownstone. He loves to answer the phone…I just wanted to hear…" She fell silent. Did he believe any of this?

    Stavros' face was hard to read. Then without any warning, his hand came up to twist into her hair. She cried out. "Foolish woman!" 

    She felt herself being dragged. 

    "Please, you know what it is like…to not be able to see your son but know he is there." Carly said, trying to play on his emotions.

    They arrived back at her room. 

    "You miss your son?" Stavros asked through clenched teeth. "We will just have to remedy that."

    Carly's eyes grew wide as he shoved her backwards into the room and pulled the doors shut. She flew against them, her hands pounding on the solid wood. "YOU LEAVE MICHAEL ALONE! DO YOU HEAR ME YOU BASTARD? DON'T YOU DARE PUT A HAND ON MY SON!" 

    After she had exhausted herself Carly sunk to the ground in tears. She had put Michael in danger. She should have admitted that she was calling for help. But she had wanted to spare herself and had put her son in danger. She sobbed harder. If Stavros did anything to harm him, she would never forgive herself.

                ****

    Alexis was still calling into the phone. "Carly? Carly?" 

    Finally, Jax took the phone from her hand and hung up.

    "Jax!" Alexis cried.

    "She's not there anymore." Jax said. He immediately got on her cell phone. "But I am going to try and find out where she was calling from."

    Alexis stood up. "She sounded so scared. She tried to tell me where she was so quickly, like she knew that she was about to get caught. And then she screamed, Jax. It was so loud, like someone was hurting her." 

    Jax hung up the phone disgusted. "She wasn't on long enough for any kind of trace." He stood up to try and comfort his wife. He could tell she was shaken.

    "What if she's dead?" Alexis was starting to get frantic. "What if whoever found her using the phone killed her?"

    Jax pulled her into a hug. "Don't think like that. It's been three days and Carly is still alive. Whoever has her must want her alive for some reason or she would have been dead by now."

    "You're right…I can't think like that!" Alexis pulled back. "Come on, we got to tell Sonny."

    "Why him?" Jax asked.

    "Because he is looking for her." Alexis turned back to him. "Could you please hold back your hate for one time? Sonny loves her."

    "Luke and Bobbie are probably looking for her as well." Jax said. "Why don't I tell them while you tell Sonny?"

    "Good idea…saves time." She kissed her husband. 

                ****

    "I swear to you." Andreas managed to spit out. "Helena doesn't have Carly."

    Stefan pushed the manservant away. It was no use. Andreas obviously didn't know anything about Carly, and he was wasting his time. "If I find out that you know otherwise, you will pay."

    "Man handling my servants again." Helena said from behind him. "I guess with Chloe gone, it's back to your old ways. What were you pestering dear Andreas about this time?"

    "The whereabouts of Barbara's daughter, Caroline." Stefan turned to his mother.

    "I was under the impression you hated your ex-wife. Why would you care about her whining little excuse of a daughter?" Helena asked.

    "Caroline poses no threat to you, Mother. Why take her?" Stefan asked.

    "I can assure you dear son, I had nothing to do with her disappearance." Helena said. "She was married to mobster, why hasn't anyone asked them? It is way more likely that they have taken her."

    "If I find otherwise…" Stefan vowed. "I will make sure you pay." He left the yacht.

    Helena looked at Andreas. "What did you tell him?"

    "The truth, Madame." He noticed her look. "That you had nothing to do with Ms. Spencer's disappearance." Helena laughed a little. "Did you locate Stavros yet?"

    "My son knew that I would try and find him." Helena said. "He has hidden himself well. But sooner or later I will find him."

                ****

    Sonny was sitting on the couch, his face in his hands. "Did she sound scared?"

    "I am not going to lie to you, Sonny." Alexis was sitting across from him. "She sounded terrified."

    "So you are sure someone hit her?" Sonny asked.

    "I can't tell you that for sure. I heard her scream and the phone went dead." Alexis knew this was eating him up inside. "I'm sorry Sonny."

    "At least we know she is alive." Sonny mumbled. His hands covered his face.

    Alexis moved forward and gently touched his shoulder. "Sonny?"

    "Damn it." Sonny muttered.

    Alexis knew what was wrong. "Sonny, it's okay to cry in front of me."

    Sonny shook his head. "I should have protected her. I wanted to keep the guards on her after the divorce but she told me that they were no longer needed. She was so stubborn I listened."

    "You're no less of a man if you cry." Alexis urged.

    Sonny moved his hands away. His face was already damp with tears. "At least we know she is alive." He repeated in a whisper as Alexis leaned forward to comfort him. 

    "Sonny, Luke and Bobbie are looking for her. I know you really don't get along…but maybe you should join forces." She suggested when he pulled back after a few moments. "If you all work together, she can be found faster."

    Sonny nodded, trying to remove the evidence of what he considered a weakness. Alexis pulled a tissue out of her purse. "I meant what I said, Sonny. I don't think any less of you. In fact…I think you're more human now."

                ****

    Bobbie rushed to open the door but was clearly confused to as why Jax was standing there. Luke was in her living room, trying his best to calm her. 

    "I'll explain." Jax said, after he noticed the confused look on her face. He ignored the glare from Luke. "How you had any luck finding Carly?"

    "Oh great, now the Aussie knows." Luke groaned.

    "No." Bobbie sensed that Jax knew something. "What is it?"

    "Carly called Alexis." Jax held up his hands to stop the onslaught of questions from Bobbie. "You were right, Carly has been taken but she didn't get to say by who. She tried to tell Alexis anything she could about her location before someone found her…"

    "Found her?" 

    "She screamed and that's all we heard." Jax put his hand on Bobbie's shoulder. 

    Bobbie bit her lip. "At least we know she's alive. Tell me what she told Alexis."

    "She just said that she wasn't on the same island as Laura and that she thought she was near the Mediterranean Ocean." Jax said. "Alexis tried to ask her who was behind all this and I think that Carly was about to tell us before she got…cut off."

    "We already know who is behind this…the Cassadines." Luke said. 

    "I think Alexis was trying to get the specific answer out of her." Jax ignored Luke's sarcasm.

    "Why isn't Natasha telling us this herself?" Luke then asked. 

    "Because she was telling me!" Another voice said.

    Bobbie and Luke looked at the newcomer.

    "Why, Sonny Corinthos, fancy meeting you here." Luke began. "Now do us all a favor and get out!"


	7. Part Seven

Part Seven

"Luke now is not the time to take out your hatred on him." Alexis said firmly standing between Sonny and Luke. 

"The man broke Carly's heart. She thought he was dead for over a month and then it turns out he was out on the lake having a vacation with the daddy killer in white." Luke said from his seat, looking up at the lawyer. "He didn't even let her know that he was okay. He crushed her."

"Luke…" Sonny began.

"Alexis has a point." Jax said, hating the idea that Alexis still defended that mobster. "Now is not the time for either of you to take out your feelings on each other. Carly is missing and if she was caught using the phone then whoever has her may think it best that she is moved. We have to get to her before she is moved. Frankly, I don't care if you two want to rip each other apart…just do it after Carly is home, okay."

Alexis' look said everything. She was proud of her husband's words. And she was proud that he wasn't going to say anything about her friendship with Sonny…at least not today.

Jax's little speech seemed to make sense to Luke. "Alright, the first thing we have to do is get to Stefan to see what other pieces of land the Cassadines own."

"Stefan's in on this?" Sonny asked confused.

"Don't ask." Bobbie told him. "Good idea."

"When we find it, I can fly a one engine plane and land it on it." Jax volunteered.

"I prefer to do this my way." Luke said.

"Let the man fly the damn plane. He can do it." Sonny said. "We need to get Carly as soon as possible."

"All I am saying is we don't want to fly in blind. I want to know what kind of thing we are up against." Luke cried.

Bobbie looked at Alexis. "Men with egos…let's just go talk to your brother."

               ****

Leticia grinned as Michael toddled over to Johnny. The three had been meeting in the garden since she had found out that he was here. It had been days since Carly did not return home and the idea that she was not coming home was starting to seep into the nanny's brain. She tried to shake it off, but the Quartermaines unspoken glee at the thought was wearing her down. 

Johnny pulled the redhead into his lap and looked over at Leticia. He leaned forward and placed his free hand on her shoulder. "She's coming home." He said not wanting to mention Carly's name and excite Michael. "Sonny will find her."

Leticia nodded. She had called Luke that morning to find out that Sonny, Jax and Alexis has also joined in the search and that all of them where at Stefan's trying to figure out which island she was on. She was also told that Carly had made contact. Leticia was afraid. What if who ever found Carly on the phone had killed her? 

She shook her head of the thought and turned her attention back to the little boy. He had spent another restless night in the mansion. He had sleep most of it but woke up every so often calling for his mother. Leticia had done her best to comfort him. 

She was glad that Johnny was here. Not only did he have a good effect on Michael but also on her. She found herself smiling when Johnny proceeded to tell Michael a story about a princess in a tower. 

"Michael, daddy's home." AJ called in the distance.

Leticia took the boy from Johnny and silently said goodbye. She made her way to the patio where AJ stood. "He likes your grandmother's rose garden."

"Yeah, Reginald said that you were out there again today." AJ was a little suspicious.

"He likes it there." Leticia repeated. "He needs to be where he is happy AJ, and it is not in this house."

AJ glared at her before taking his son.

Leticia glanced back at the direction Johnny was. What she didn't know was that Johnny was lying on the ground, blood leaking from his head…

               ****

The room was in silence. Luke and Bobbie sat side-by-side pouring over maps. Stefan sat at his desk, staring straight ahead, trying to remember anything that would help. Jax was on the phone calling contacts, while his wife lay asleep on his shoulder after staying up all night. Sonny was pacing. He really didn't know what else to do.

Luke crossed off another island. Bobbie gave him a puzzled look. "That's the main island in Greece. Caroline said she wasn't there." Stefan had provided them with a map of the Cassadine territory all over the world. The siblings had spent all night trying to eliminate what they could, and now where down to ten islands in the Mediterranean. 

"We can't just storm these islands until we find her." Luke pointed out. 

Sonny stopped pacing. "Why not?" He asked, his temper slipping.

"If we hit a place where Caroline is not, the servants on that island will alert the others of a possible attack. We would lose our element of surprise." Stefan spoke up for the first time in hours. He had tried to think like his mother…but was coming up blank. He still was unsure why Helena would want Carly. 

Sonny sat down on the couch next to a sleeping Alexis who opened her eyes in shock. 

"Dammit Sonny watch what you're doing." She muttered before looking at Jax. "Anything?"

Jax shook his head. "I did call the airport. They can have my plane ready to go at a moment's notice."

Luke opened another map that zoomed in on the region the ten islands were located in. "Why do you Cassadines always have to go overboard? I mean, what can a person really do with all this land in the Mediterranean?"

"Hide out." Sonny muttered.

"At one time, it was quite useful. Father bought the islands for his liaisons with other women. Helena never did find out about half of the islands until Father's death. She was totally in the dark." Stefan looked at Alexis. "She only really figured out where he kept one of his mistresses."

Alexis leaned closer to Jax. She did remember being on island besides the one in Greece. That was before Helena had cut her mother's…"Is my mother's island one of the ten?" Alexis asked.

Stefan looked over at the map. "Yes."

"I suggest we look there first." Alexis said. "Because I have this feeling that she is there. Don't ask me why, just go with my hunch."

 "I'll trust Alexis' hunch." Sonny said, knowing that they had gotten him out of trouble before. 

"So will I." Jax said.

"Well, Natasha, you better be right. You've got a one and ten chance of being right." Luke muttered. 

The more Alexis thought about it, the more it made sense to her. "Just trust me."

               ****

It was late afternoon, and Nikolas stared at the photo of his father. He wanted to burn it. He couldn't count the times that Helena had said with pride that he was like his father. He did not want to be like his father.  His father was a murderer, a kidnapper and a rapist… He would never be like him. Just acting like him cost him people he loved. 

"Nikolas." 

He turned. "Gia? What are you doing here?"

"Lucky said you wanted to tell me something." She said. "I don't know why I came, but I did. We really haven't talked much over the last few months. But Lucky said it was important." She sat down on a chair. "So let's hear it."

Nikolas shook his head a little. Leave it to Lucky to set him up like this. He didn't think he was ready to tell Gia everything. He really didn't want to see her face when she heard what he had done.

"I'm waiting." Gia's voice broke through his thoughts.

"I wanted to tell you that you were right that day." Nikolas began. He knew once he started everything was going to come out. "The day of the auction when you called my bluff. When you said that I was only pretending to want to be a Cassadine to save Lucky, you              were right."

"I know." Gia's voice was quiet.

Nikolas' head shot up. "How?"

"You can't lie to me." Gia laughed a little. "That's the thing about love…I know you so well, I can tell when you are lying."

"Why did you wait so long?" Nikolas asked.

"I wanted you to tell me, Nikolas." Gia said. "I wanted you to feel what I felt. You pushed me out of your life and tried to make me think that you never loved me at all. When Lucky went back to being normal, I decided to return the favor. I decided to push you out of  my life. You Cassadines are full of pride…but I never imagined it would take you this long to explain yourself."

"I just thought you believed what I had said, that I never loved you." Nikolas said moving closer to her. "I thought you would never forgive me."

"I haven't forgiven you yet." Gia said. "Why couldn't you trust me to tell me?"

"I had to push you away. Helena said it was a test. I had to break it off with you in order to get closer to her and find the Ice Princess. I wanted to tell you but I was worried that you try to do something to help if things got thick. I couldn't see you hurt, Gia." Nikolas said. "I would have died if anything happened to you because of my family. I am so sorry for everything, Gia. I need you in my life. When I was with you I felt alive and happy. Without you I am nothing…"

Gia laughed a little. "I love it when you grovel." She said coming off the chair to stand before him. She reached up and touched his face. "You're never going to put me in the dark again."

"Never ever." Nikolas leaned in and kissed her lips for the first time in months. He could still feel it…the love that they had for each other was still strong.

Gia pulled back and leaned against his chest. She reached down to take his hand. "What's that?"

Nikolas realized that he was still holding the photo of Stavros. "Just a photo of my father." He looked at the fire. "I am going to burn it."

Gia grabbed it before he placed into the flames. "Let me see it first…I want to see how much you really look like him." She glanced down at the photo and turned pale. "Lucien…"

Nikolas froze. Wasn't that the name of the man she had been dating? "What?"

"Nikolas, this man is Lucien Cain."

"No, this man is my father." Nikolas watched as she continued to stare at the photo. 

"Nikolas, this man has been calling me for months. He used to visit me everyday. He said he knew of the Cassadines but did not know them personally." Gia sat down. "Nikolas, your father is alive."

               ****

Leticia didn't like the feeling she was having. She climbed out of her bed in the servant's wing and slipped on her robe. She walked down the carpeted hallway and then into the foyer of the Quartermaine mansion. The closer she got to her destination, the sicker she felt. She climbed the stairs and walked towards Michael's room. Opening the door she frowned. Standing next to the bed was a member of the kitchen staff. "Peter, what are you doing here?" Leticia demanded.

"I was just looking at the child." Peter sounded nervous.

"In the middle of the night?" Leticia was suspicious.

"Look, I don't want to hurt you." Peter said. "But Michael is coming with me. Just step aside."

"I won't." Leticia said. "JOHNNY!"

She didn't have much time to react. Picking up a lamp she lunged at the larger man. They locked eyes as a sharp pain shot up her side.

"I'm sorry." Peter said dropping the knife and watching the woman slide the floor. "I really didn't want to have to hurt you." He reached down and picked up the frightened child who had awoke at the sound of Leticia's cry for help. Peter stepped over Leticia. "But my employer paid me a lot of money…"


	8. Part Eight

Part Eight

   Nikolas had made Gia tell the story numerous times before he decided they should head to Wyndamere.

   "But it's 1:00am." Gia protested. "He won't be awake."

   "Then we will wake up him." Nikolas put one of his jackets on her. "Gia, if what you think is true…that Stavros is alive, then we need to get to my uncle as soon as possible."

   Gia didn't argue any more. She had never seen Nikolas so upset. He almost seemed in a state of shock. She could understand. She had just told him that the father he had never known was still alive.

   Nikolas held Gia close as they crossed to Spoon Island. His father had tried to seduce the woman he loved. How was this possible? He was so confused. All the lights were on in the old house as they opened the door.

               Stefan looked up to see his nephew and the model standing there. "Nikolas?"

   Nikolas took in the scene. What were Jasper Jacks, Sonny Corinthos, Luke and Bobbie Spencer doing there? None of that was important. "Uncle, Gia told me something tonight you have to hear. She has been seeing a gentleman by the name of Lucien Cain…"

   Stefan froze. Chloe had said that name a few times while she was still living in Port Charles.

"I showed her this photo of my father and she says it's the same man that she had been seeing."

            "How is that possible?" Stefan asked.

            "I killed him." Luke said.

"I learned a long time ago that anything is possible with this family." Gia said. "I wouldn't make something like this up. They are identical."

 Stefan shook his head. "But he is dead."

 "Are you calling me a liar?" Gia demanded. She was tired and not in the mood to argue.

 "I pushed him down the stairs years before you were born, darling." Luke said. "This Lucien Cain must be a look a like."

 "Lucien Cain was also in contact with Chloe." Stefan said. "He told her things that only close family knew. Like the nickname Stavros called me, and the death of the girl in the boating accident."

 Luke laughed a little and then remembered his dream. The dream of chasing Stavros through a maze and then it hit him. "She is telling the truth."

"What do you mean?" Bobbie asked.

"I remember now." Luke said. "I remember the day Helena introduced me to that toxin. Stavros was there."

"How is this possible?" Stefan asked.

"She froze him." Luke shook his head as the memories flooded back. "And brought him back to live. Tony helped her."

"WHAT?" Bobbie asked.

"To save Lucas, Tony helped her. In exchange she gave him the antidote to the poison that she gave him." Luke said.

Bobbie needed to sit down. "I can't believe this."

"Stavros has Carly." Alexis said.

"Why would he want Carly?" Nikolas asked.

"The same reason he wanted Laura." Alexis said. "She told me about this man she met on the Fourth of July. Carly described him as tall, dark eyes, hair and beard. She said he forced a kiss on her."

Sonny was seeing red. He was at Angel's and some psycho was after his wife. "When are we leaving?"

"By morning…" Luke said. "Bobbie, I want you to stay here."

"I will not!" Bobbie declared.

Luke took Bobbie aside. "Look, Bobbie, we don't know what we are up against. I don't want to see anything happen to you. Please tell me you will stay here."

Bobbie shook her head. "Just bring my daughter back to me."

Jax looked at Alexis. "I don't want you going either. Please don't argue, just listen for once since we got married."

"Let's do a body count." Luke said. "Sonny, Jax, me…"

"I am going." Stefan said.

"We really…"

"Look, he is my brother, and there might be a chance that I was on the island." Stefan stood toe to toe with Luke. "You need my help."

"And I am going too." Everyone turned to face Nikolas. "Don't even try to stop me from doing this. He is my father. I want to come face to face with the man and see for myself exactly who he is."

Stefan knew there was no arguing with him.

"Nikolas!" Gia cried.

"Please stay with Bobbie." Nikolas kissed her forehead. "I have to do this."

Gia nodded, and stayed silent. She understood but that didn't stop her from being scared. "Just be careful." She looked at the rest of the men in the room. "You better watch over him."

"Yes ma'am." Luke said with a mock salute.

Bobbie took Gia's arm. "Why don't we go back to the Brownstone?"

Gia nodded, and Alexis moved to follow them.

Once they were gone, Luke turned to the rest of them. "We have to have some kind of plan."

                ****

"MOM! DAD!"

The voice echoed through the normally silent Quartermaine mansion.

Alan and Monica each sat straight up at the sound of their son's voice. Both rushed out of bed and went towards the source…Michael's room.

Monica was the first to see the blood, but Alan was the first to see AJ cradling Leticia.

"What happened?" Alan asked as he flipped the switch. Light flooded the room and he leaned down next to the injured woman.

AJ was frantic. "I don't know! I was sleeping when I thought I heard someone call out. When I came to, there was no noise. I decided to check on Michael and found her lying here…he's gone!"

Monica's eyes flew to the empty bed. "AJ, go call 911 right now! We need an ambulance and the police!"

AJ reluctantly left the room as Monica moved to help her husband.

"Is she alive?" Monica asked.

Alan felt for a pulse. He nodded and lifted up the pajama top. "Oh God."

Monica immediately reached for the nearest thing to stop the bleeding…Michael's baby blanket. She pressed it against the stab wound. "It's deep Alan."

"She probably needs surgery if she is going to have half a chance."

"What's going on…" Skye appeared and stopped short. "Oh God."

Alan looked at his daughter. "I need you to go to your brother. He is a mess right now. Wake up everyone. We need to see if Michael was taken off the property."

"You got this?" Monica asked Alan.

He nodded. "I just hope the ambulance shows up soon."

                ****

"Where are we going?" Gia was exhausted. She looked at her watch. It was now 2: 00 in the morning. Bobbie wasn't heading back to the Brownstone.

"I have to see someone first." Bobbie said. She pulled her car into the parking lot of a house and walked up to the front door. She pounded with all her might as Gia and Alexis watched confused.

The door opened and a confused Tony appeared.

 Bobbie slapped him.

Gia looked at Alexis. "Can she do that?"

"How could you?" Bobbie demanded. "You knew that monster was alive. You knew that he threatened my family and you didn't tell me!"

Tony realized what she was talking about. "Bobbie, she threatened Lucas."

"I wasn't asking you to tell the world, just me!" Bobbie said. "Now that bastard has Carly…"

"Stavros has Carly?" Tony asked.

"Yes." Bobbie was near tears. "You could have given me a warning. I'll never forgive you if anything happens to her."

Inside the car, Bobbie's cell phone rang. Seeing that she was engrossed in her heated argument with Tony, Alexis reached for it. "Alexis Jacks…"

Gia watched as the color in her face drained.

"We'll be right there." Alexis turned to Gia. "Can you drive?"

"Yeah, why?" Gia asked.

"Bobbie won't be in any condition to drive after I tell her what happened."

                ****

Skye was trying her best to calm AJ down as they sat on the couch. Moments before Leticia was carried out on a stretcher, with Alan still trying to help her. The servants were combing the grounds for any sign of his son, and Monica was putting a call through to Bobbie's cell phone.

"AJ let me clean you up." She said grabbing one of the white linen napkins. She didn't think twice about pressing the expensive cloth to AJ's blood soaked hands. "Michael is going to be alright."

The doors to the living room opened and Taggert walked in.  "Someone mind telling me what happened." He said.

"I'll tell you what I know." Skye said. "AJ was woken by the sound of Leticia calling out…"

"It sounded like a name." AJ said staring at his hands. "Johnny!"

"And then he went over and found Leticia lying on the floor, stabbed." Skye said. "And Michael was gone."

Reginald appeared, helping a man towards a chair. "I figured you would want to question him."

"What are you doing here?" AJ demanded as he walked towards Johnny. He could see that the other man was bleeding from his head. "Where is my son?"

"I don't know." Johnny mumbled, clutching his head.

"Sonny took him, didn't he?" AJ's temper was slipping. "He took him and that's why you are here. I heard Leticia yell Johnny. She was trying to stop you and you stabbed her…"

Johnny's eyes flew open in shock. "Is she dead?"

Skye shook her head. "Dad's taking care of her. She was hanging on when they left in the ambulance."

"Do you really care?" AJ asked. "You did this to her."

"Would you listen to yourself?" Johnny asked. "Of course I didn't harm her. I care about her…and Michael. Sonny sent me here to watch over them. If he wanted Michael removed from this house, I doubt Leticia would put up a fight."

"Do you mind telling me what happened to your head?" Taggert asked Johnny.

"Some member of the kitchen staff found me in the bushes and knocked me out with one of those lawn ornaments. I came to when Reginald found me." Johnny stood up. "I have to get to the hospital…"

"Just wait a minute." Taggert said.

"Let him go, Lieutenant. He has a nasty head wound." Skye reasoned.

"I don't care about my head…I care about Leticia." Johnny shot a look back at Taggert. "You have any more questions, call Alexis."

                ****

Carly woke up the next morning and quickly closed her eyes. The sun was shining in her eyes. Didn't it ever turn gray here? She wanted something to match her mood.

Stavros had kept in the room all yesterday, refusing to speak to her or listen to her pleas. She was back at square one but considered herself lucky. He could have easily killed her.

She sat up in bed and looked across the room. She immediately felt fear go through her when she saw Stavros sitting there watching her. "What do you want?" She asked, showing her usual Carly courage.

"I have a surprise for you."

"I don't want it." Carly muttered.

"I think you will want to at least see it." Stavros came across the room, grabbing her wrist and yanking her out of bed. "I worked so hard to obtain it."

Carly had no choice but to follow. She waited as he inserted a key into another room along the hallway. Peering around him when he opened the door she nearly screamed at the sight.

Lying on a bed, sound asleep was her precious boy Michael.


	9. Part Nine

Part Nine

Carly pushed past Stavros and rushed to hold her boy. She looked back at him. "You drugged him!" She cried when she noticed that Michael wasn't waking up.

"Not to worry." Stavros came to sit by her on the bed. She immediately held Michael closer. "It's herbal, and will do no harm to him.  It's the equivalent of drinking a warm glass of milk. I didn't want him to be upset on his plane ride over here."

Carly turned away from her captor and stroked her son's face. She noticed dry blood on his forehead. She carefully removed it and was relived to see that there was no mark on him. "How did he get blood on him?"

"Your nanny was reluctant to let him go."

Carly gently laid Michael back on the bed. "Leticia?"

"She is in surgery at General Hospital this very moment." Stavros informed her.

"If she dies…"

"You better mind your tongue. I don't take threats lightly." Stavros stood up.

"Why did you bring him here?" Carly asked.

"Because you obviously missed him." Stavros answered. "I hate to see you saddened."

"I asked you not to bring him here." Carly laid her hand on her son's cheek. "I wanted him away from all this."

"He is here now." Stavros grabbed her wrist again. "And he will be here later." He pulled her out of the room, despite her protests.

Before she could reenter the room, Stavros locked it, placing the key in his pocket. "If you want to see your son again, you will listen to me."

Carly had no choice but to follow him.

             ****

Bobbie was sitting unresponsively in the chair. Leticia was still in surgery. Bobbie wished that she could be the nurse in there…to help the woman she considered a close friend. Alexis sat next to her, in just as much shock. She thought a lot of the little red head and hoped that he was all right. Gia was the one keeping her head on her shoulders, and was apparently talking to Jax on Alexis' phone.

The model glanced back at the two. "I'll take care of them. Just make sure that you guys get Carly and Michael back and return to Port Charles in one piece." She hung up the phone and handed it back to Alexis.  "I could hear Sonny freaking out in the background when I told Jax. They are still going ahead with their plan to rescue Carly but they are altering it to get Michael out of there…if they are indeed in the same place. Your husband's a nice fellow, Alexis. He told me that he would do everything he can to find them."

"Sonny shouldn't be going." Bobbie spoke up.

"Why?" Gia sat down in a chair next to her.

"He is too emotionally involved. He still loves Carly with all his heart and he thinks of Michael as his son." Bobbie told her. "He won't be thinking straight and it might get him killed."

Everyone fell silent, each thinking of their loved one and sending a prayer for their safe return.

Johnny appeared around the corner, his head stitched up. He saw the trio and walked to them. "Is Leticia alright?"

"We don't know yet." Bobbie looked up at him. "What happened to you?"

"It's my fault." Johnny sighed heavily. "It's my fault that Michael is gone and Leticia is in the operating room fighting for her life. Sonny sent me to watch over them, and that's what I should have done.  Instead I had to get involved. Leticia just looked so sad and Michael loved my stories…and I got distracted. I didn't even notice that the creep was behind me until it was too late."

Bobbie touched his arm. "Johnny, you did all that you could. It sounds like you helped my grandson be less afraid inside that big house full of people that don't get along. I thank you for that."

"Bobbie…"

She turned to see Melissa Bedford standing there. "Yes."

"They said I was to tell you about Leticia Morez." Melissa's face was unreadable.

"How is she?" Johnny asked before Bobbie could answer.

"She made it through the hard part…the surgery. We had to remove her spleen because it was too damaged. She's a very lucky woman. If she makes it through today, the doctor doesn't see why she shouldn't make a full recovery." Melissa smiled a little.

Johnny visibly relaxed. "Can I see her?"

"It's usually family only."

"Leticia's family is all in Puerto Rico." Bobbie said. "Let's just make an exception for Johnny. If anyone gets into a fit about it, blame it on me, okay?"

Melissa nodded. "Follow me." She instructed Johnny.

Bobbie sighed as well. At least they knew that she was still alive. She asked for Alexis cell phone to call Sonny and let him know how the nanny was.

             ****

The plane was almost ready to take off. Jax was doing a final check when a gun suddenly appeared in his face. His eyes widened and then he looked up. 

"Sonny, damn it all! Don't scare me like that."

"Sorry, Candy boy." Sonny still had not relaxed since he had first found out that Michael had been taken as well. Not even the news that Leticia had made it through surgery calmed him down. "I think you might need this. Not to worry…it can never be traced back to you. Not that anyone is going to go looking on Cassadine islands for used handguns, but I wanted to calm any     fears you had."

"Thanks." Jax took the gun and placed it carefully on the seat next to him, after making sure the safety was still on.

"Why exactly are you doing this?" Sonny asked standing in the doorway to the cockpit. "You don't know Carly."

"You're right. I don't know Carly." Jax said as he went back to getting ready for take off. "But I know my wife and she is fond of Carly.  Plus I care for Bobbie a lot ever since she was with my brother. I want to see them both happy, plus I am not about to let another innocent woman get hurt by a Cassadine."

Sonny said no more, and joined the rest who where quietly working out the details of Carly and Michael's rescue. Stefan was explaining where he thought the guards might be.

"We have to be careful." Luke said. "Stavros Cassadine is no fool. The thought of him alive makes my blood run cold. He is probably the craziest of all the Cassadines. He has murdered before, and won't hesitate to do it again. I didn't say anything in front of Bobbie, but we should be prepared for the worst. Stavros had no problem forcing himself on Laura…" A lump formed in his throat. "I just hope that he hasn't…"

Sonny turned pale. The thought of what Luke was implying made him want to be sick. Sonny didn't think he would ever forgive himself if they arrived on the island to find that Stavros had hurt Carly in that way.

Nikolas was sitting quietly next to his uncle. He was repulsed by the thought of his father hurting anyone and couldn't believe that he had come from such a man. He wanted to see him face to face. He wanted to be sure that he wasn't anything like him.

Sonny opened his briefcase and placed three guns on the table between them. He took his own gun out and checked it to make sure it was in working order. Stefan and Luke each reached for one of the guns and began doing the same. Sonny looked over at Nikolas, sighed a little and then picked up the gun he had secured for the Cassadine prince.

"To work it…" He fell silent when the younger man took the gun from his hand. He raised his eyebrows as Nikolas flicked the safety, and loaded the clip into the gun aiming it with a steady hand at the wall of the plane.

"This will do." He told Sonny.

"Nikolas?" Stefan asked a little shocked.

"Don't ask, uncle."

The plane took off.

             ****

AJ nodded, before hanging up the phone. "That was Dad. Leticia made it through the surgery and providing there are no complications she should be alright."

Everyone in the room either thanked God or sighed.  Taggert had left about an hour ago after the police finished looking for clues and had questioned everyone. He promised to call the minute that they knew anything.

AJ was impatient. He sat next to his mother on the couch. "Do you think he is alright?"

"I do." Monica said softly, placing a hand on his back. "They'll find him."

Reginald ushered Taggert into the room. Everyone bombarded him with questions at once.

"Please!" The bald detective cried. "Everyone calm down. We haven't found Michael yet. We found the man whose prints matched the ones on the knife."

"You mean Peter?" Edward asked.

"Yes." Taggert said.

"Well, did he tell you where Michael is?" AJ asked.

"We found him shot once in the head." Taggert told them. "Apparently, who ever he was working for didn't feel like paying up."

"It has to be whoever has Carly." AJ muttered.

"Carly's been kidnapped?" Taggert was surprised.

AJ nodded. Why hadn't he thought of this before? Whoever had Carly may want Michael as well…that's why Johnny was sent by Sonny to protect the boy.

"Why didn't you tell me this earlier?" Taggert was fuming.

"I guess I was in shock, Detective." AJ said.

"How long as Carly been missing?" Taggert asked.

"About a week." AJ told him.

"A week?" Taggert cried. "And no one notified the police?"

"Her family is was taking care of it…" AJ shot back. "Look Taggert, you know there is no love lost between Carly and I…just find my son!"

             ****

"I can see the island." Jax said over the speaker.

The men in the back all fell silent, each gathering courage or gathering what they would need to do what they where about to do.

Jax eased the plane towards the west end of the island where there was a grassy flat strip he could land on. There were also no signs of living on the side of the island and a good chance that Stavros wouldn't think to watch it. He probably thought he had taken Carly and gotten away with it. 

They would leave the plane there, cut through the trees to the compound, take out the guards and find Carly and her son and bring them back. It was a risky plan but no one could think of anything better.

Sonny looked out his window as the ground got closer and closer.  Here I come Carly, he thought as he continued to pray that nothing had happened to the family he loved.


	10. Part Ten

Part Ten

Marcus Taggert hated people like Luke Spencer and Sonny Corinthos. They were men who took the law into their own hands. He hated the fact that they didn't seem to trust the police to do their job correctly. He had tried Sonny's penthouse first. Old habit he guessed. It was well know in Port Charles that even though Sonny and Carly were divorced, they still harbored feelings for each other. Plus he wanted to confirm or deny his feelings that the mob was behind both kidnappings. He found Francis at the door and no one home. He next checked Luke's home, and found Laura there. She said her husband was out of town but would reveal nothing else. He knew that she was hiding something but couldn't find an official reason to question her further.  He then went to Luke's club and found Lucky minding it. Again, the same feeling that the younger Spencer was hiding something but he couldn't do anything about it. He found himself on the steps of his the Brownstone. His apartment was downstairs but he was knocking on the front door. Bobbie opened the door, looking very tired and worn out.

"Did you lose you key, Detective?" Bobbie asked quietly. "I would be happy to get you the spare."

"That's not why I am here Bobbie." He said.

"If you are here about Michael, please tell me." Bobbie said. "Have you found him yet?"

"No but you already knew that." Taggert said. "Because you know who has him."

Bobbie frowned. "I certainly do not!"

"Don't lie to me, Bobbie." Taggert said as he walked into the Brownstone. 

"You know that the same person who has Michael also has Carly."

Bobbie tried to hide her shock. "What?"

"Stop trying to hide it from me. Just let me do my job." Taggert pleaded with her. "If someone has Carly and Michael let me try and find them."

"Who told you that Carly is missing?" Bobbie asked.

"AJ."

"Damn him." Bobbie said.

"He is worried about his son. If you have any information that would help find him or Carly, I suggest you tell me." Taggert said.

"Taggert, someone is taking care of it. They'll be home soon." She said not revealing anything else.

"Would that someone be your brother? Or how about Sonny Corinthos?" Taggert asked. "Why can't you trust the PCPD to find them?"

"Taggert this is a complicated situation and Luke and Sonny know how to deal with it." Bobbie was pleading with him. "If Carly and Michael aren't home before tomorrow morning I promise to tell you everything. Just give them the chance to find her."

Taggert shook his head in frustration. He looked around the room, his eyes falling on a familiar purse. "Gia?"

His younger sister appeared from the dining room where she and Alexis had hid themselves when Bobbie announced that he was at the door. She walked over to him and looked him straight in the eyes. "Please just let them find her." She pleaded. "You owe me from a few years back…just give them a day."

Taggert groaned as he looked into the eyes of his baby sister. "I don't even want to know how you're involved."

"Marcus…" She said softly.

"One day!" He said. "But that is it! And if you are this vague tomorrow, Bobbie, I will have you arrested for withholding evidence!"

Bobbie turned to Gia after Taggert had left. "Thank you."

             ****

Carly felt like she was dying a slow death. Ever since she had saw her baby lying helpless on the bed, she almost shut down. Stavros held the ultimate key. He could take her baby away for good if she stepped out of line again.

The morning went by slowly as she tried her best to act the way she thought Stavros wanted her too. Everything she did she did for Michael.  Dinner was being cleared away when Carly asked to see her son.

Stavros looked up from his paper and shook his head.

"Why not?" Carly asked. "He must have woken up by now."

"He has and he is being looked after by his new nanny. I was thinking that we all could down to the beach later on." He informed her.

"He must be scared and confused. Just let me talk to him for a few moments and let him know that mommy is here."

"Caroline, would you let it drop?" He said. "Frankly, we have more important things to worry about. I have told you before how I feel. I want you Caroline. I want you to be mine."

Carly froze. Ever since she had woken her first day on the island she was afraid that this was going to happen. Standing up, she took a step back.  "And I told you that given time I might be able to return your feelings.  You can't kidnap me and expect me to give into your feelings within a week. It's illogical."

"I am a very impatient man." Stavros seemed intent on backing her into a corner.

Carly tried to avoid being pinned against the wall but was helpless to prevent it. She looked up at him. "Please, just give me the time I need."

Stavros ignored her pleas as he captured her lips in a crushing kiss.  Carly immediately felt disgusted. She placed the palms of her hands against his chest in an attempt to push him away. Stavros reached up and grabbed her wrists, pulling her closer to him.

Carly finally managed to pull away. "Don't!" She ordered.

Stavros grinned and leaned in for another kiss.

"I SAID DON'T!" Carly screamed, bring her knee crashing into his groin.

He reacted immediately dropping her wrists. She moved away from him and her hands fell on a candlestick on the table. She brought it crashing across his back. He groaned in pain and seemed momentarily stunned. Carly headed out the open door.

Trying to remember the correct way to Michael's room, Carly broke out into a run. When she arrived outside the door, she found the door was still locked.  "Michael." She called through the door.

"Momma!"

The sound of her son's voice sent a wave of joy through her.  Fighting back tears, Carly answered. "Yes, baby, I'm here."

"CAROLINE!"

She froze against the door. Stavros was recovering. "I have to go baby. I'll be back, I promise."

"Momma?"

She hated the fear in his voice as she continued running through the hall and down the staircase. When Stavros found her, she wanted to be far away from Michael's room. Maybe she could convince him that she was frightened of intimacy and just needed more time. She also didn't want Michael to hear any punishment Stavros might inflict on her.

She found herself standing on the stone patio under the hot sun. She had been running so blindly she didn't even notice that she had exited the house. Lifting up the hem of her sundress, Carly headed down the stairs and into the rose garden in an effort to put distance between her and Stavros.

"CAROLINE!"

The sound of his voice made her run twice as hard. Her ultimate goal was to reach the beach. At least there were plenty of rocks to hide behind there. She felt a pain in her side and knew she had to slow down.

Stopping behind a large bush, Carly suddenly had a realization.  Where were the guards?  She was sure that there was one at every major place. She remembered one that watched over the house, one for the gardens, one for the rest of the grounds and one for the beach. Surely, Stavros had alerted them to her disappearance. They were usually very good at finding her.

A hand fell on her shoulder. Carly let out a scream before turning around. "Nikolas!" Carly cried, never so relieved in her life to see a familiar face. "Nikolas, what are you doing here?"

Nikolas motioned for her to be silent. "Follow me."

"But Michael…"

"CAROLINE, I AM CLOSING IN!"

"We'll get him." Nikolas promised. He looked over to where his uncle was securing the guard the two had found in the gardens. "Trust me."

Carly allowed the younger man to take her arm and she was led through a path to stand before Stefan Cassadine. Carly again was confused. "What are you doing here?"

"We're going to take you home." Stefan said quietly to the frightened woman. She immediately felt safe with him even though he was her captor's brother. "Mr. Jacks, your uncle Luke, and Mr. Corinthos are also here. I believe they are taking care of the guards on the beach and grounds."

"Sonny." Carly whispered. Her heart leaped for joy. He still cared. All her emotions were overwhelming her. Tears flowed down her face. "Please just get my son."

"I vow to you, that you son will be safe." Stefan said. "Now we should find the rest of them before we enter the house."

"There is only one guard and a nanny." She told them. "Stavros is looking for me. I can feel him closing in." She began to feel frantic. Michael, I'm coming, she thought.

Nikolas grabbed her hand again and the two backtracked to the stairway to the beach. They were careful not to slip on the path for one side of hill lead the sandy beach and the other side were cliffs that lead to the ocean and rocks below. They weren't taking any chances.

Carly looked down the stone stairway to see Sonny and Jax climbing up it.  Her eyes met Sonny and she smiled through her tears. "Sonny!" She called pulling away from Nikolas and rushing to meet him. 

Sonny ran up the stairs and she leaped into his arms. "Baby, I am so sorry." He said holding her close.

"Let's just get Michael and go home." She said holding on for dear life.  "I just want to go home."

The four men and the frightened woman stood at the top of the stairway.

"We are just waiting for Luke." Jax said. He was relieved that the plan was working. They had counted on more guards. He guessed Spencer was right. Stavros didn't expect anyone to figure it out. "He is taking care of the man we saw walking the perimeter."

"And then we'll get Michael?" Carly asked.

Sonny nodded, eying her closely. He saw faint bruises on her face and she was trembling against him. "Damn him."

"Sonny." Carly reached up and touched his face. "Listen to me. It doesn't matter what happened. All that matters is that we all get out of here alive…"

 She was cut off when the sound of a gunshot echoed across the island. Carly screamed in horror as she watched Stefan Cassadine fall the ground.


	11. Part Eleven

Part Eleven

Author's Note: This is the final chapter! An epilogue may be posted!

"No!" Carly screamed pulling away from Sonny's protective grasp to fall next to the still figure. She carefully rolled him over. "Oh God, he's bleeding so much." She said as she watched his shirt soak more. "Someone help him."

            Before anyone could move, Stavros appeared from the bushes, stepping between the group of men and Carly and Stefan. His gun was aimed at her but he spoke evenly. "Drop your weapons."

Everyone complied.

"Now kick them off the cliff." He ordered.

Everyone kicked them left and watched them sail towards the rocks below.

Stavros smiled and looked back at his fallen brother and captive. She glared back up at him, her hand covering the wound on Stefan's shoulder. He still hadn't opened his eyes. Carly figured that he must have hit his head when he fell. She reached up and untied the scarf from her hair and pressed it against the wound.

"My poor younger brother. He is such a waste of life." He raised the gun to Stefan's head.

"NO!" Carly screamed.

"My dear Caroline, he needs to die. He tried to take you from me. I told him once that he would never have anything I want and I meant it." Stavros was about to pull the trigger.

"Father, no!"

Stavros looked back at his son. "Nikolas…"

"Don't kill him." Nikolas pleaded. "Please don't kill him."

"Nikolas…" Stavros seemed almost in a trance. "I have waited so long to come face to face with you. I wanted it to be perfect. I wanted you, me, Caroline and Michael to be a family. I was going to come to you once she had submitted to me."

"You can't force people to love you." Nikolas said the look on his face disgusted.

Stavros was taken aback. "I should have figured you to say this. My son…" He looked at Sonny and Jax. "My son standing with the enemy. I should have seen this coming. You showed yourself to be a true Cassadine when you deceived Mother. It was truly brilliant. You got what you wanted from her and then turned you back. I knew then that you were truly my son. But I can see now that you still have been brainwashed by your uncle and your mother. You still believe in people like Sonny…and Luke." He spat.

"I believe in what is right. I don't take what I want, I work for it." He said, contempt in his eyes. His father was everything Stefan and Laura said he would be. He could feel his heart breaking; knowing that the man he once wanted a relationship with was better off dead.

"That's right." Stavros laughed. "You work for it. Like you worked to repair your relationship with the lovely Gia. She isn't worthy of you, Nikolas. She is merely someone to amuse you with. I could have taken her to bed…she wanted it you know. But I cared enough for you to push her away."

"You leave Gia out of this." Nikolas lunged for his father. Sonny grabbed his arm.

"Watch what you say." Stavros warned. "I am going to let you live…." He stopped. "Luke Spencer, come out from those bushes." He called, sensing the other man was trying to ambush them.

Luke immediately came out when he saw the barrel of the gun move dangerously close to Carly. He too threw his gun into the ocean. "Stavros!"

Stavros didn't even acknowledge the man who took his life before. He turned back to his son. "As I was saying…I am going to let you live. But first I must finish off these annoyances." He looked back at Carly who was staring at the ocean. She immediately looked back at him. "How about I finish you beloved first? There will be nothing standing between us with him dead."

Carly rose to her feet. "Please don't. I'll do anything you say. Don't kill him."

"I am sorry but I must." Stavros raised his gun.

"No!" Carly screamed grabbing his arm, and with all her strength pulling him backwards. She locked eyes with Sonny as Stavros blindly pulled the trigger firing into the air. She leaped backwards, pulling Stavros with her.

The others could only watch as the two went flying off the cliff.

"CARLY, NOOOOOO!" Sonny screamed running forward and looking down. He couldn't see either Stavros or her. "Oh God." He cried as he turned around, heading for the stairway. Luke and Jax followed behind as Nikolas rushed to help his uncle.

Sonny hit the water first, looking for any sign of the woman he loved. Luke immediately went to the rocks, fearful of what he may find. Jax joined Sonny in the search for Carly.

Sonny ducked under the water and went for the bottom. He could make out a figure and immediately went for it. His arms encircled Carly and he swam for the top. She lay limply in his arms.

Jax surfaced next to him. "Let's get her to the shore."

Sonny nodded as the two gently moved Carly to lie on the sand.

"Carly." Sonny felt for a pulse and was overjoyed to find one.

"She's breathing." Jax smiled a little at the man he had once considered an enemy.

"Carly." Sonny said more softly this time, touching her face. "Carly, wake up."

Carly moaned and soon brown eyes flew open to meet his. "Sonny!" She tried to sit up but Jax prevented her. "Just lie still, the force you hit the water with must have knocked you out."

Sonny moved to cradle her head on his lap. "Why did you do that?" He asked, as his heartbeat struggled to return to normal. He didn't know what he would have down if she had died.

"Stavros can't swim." She told him. "When I jumped I made sure that I had enough power to clear the rocks. I let go of him as soon as we cleared the cliff. I knew that even if he hit the water he would never be able to get to shore."

"Why did you do that?" Sonny was close to tears. "You could have been killed."

"But I'm alive." She whispered. "Don't think of what could have happened. I couldn't let him kill you."

Luke appeared, thankful to see his niece alive.

"Stavros?" Jax asked.

"He's on the rocks." Luke's face looked grim. "Let's just say, if Momma Cass tries to freeze him again, she'll have to sew him back together again." 

He knelt down next to Carly. "Hey Caroline."

Carly frowned a little. "Could you call me Carly?" She asked her Uncle. "He called me that."

"Sure princess." He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "Bobbie is going to be so happy to see you."

"I am going to be so happy to see her." Carly laughed a little. "Because I am going home."

Luke stroked her hair and looked up. He saw Nikolas and Stefan making their way to the group. Nikolas was supporting his Uncle.  "Good to see you alive." Luke said.

"I never thought I would live to hear you say that." Stefan laughed a little. "Stavros…"

"Dead." Carly said. "Michael!" She sat up again, this time breaking through any hands trying to hold her down. "We need to get Michael. The key to the room is in Stavros' pocket."

"Calm down." Luke said. "Sonny, Jax, Nikolas, and I will get Michael. Stefan, will you stay with her."

"Sure." Stefan was still holding Carly's scarf to the wound in his shoulder. His head hurt worse than his shoulder.

Nikolas removed his jacket and wrapped around Carly's shoulder.

"How will you get into the room?" Carly asked.

"We'll get in." Sonny promised. He kissed her forehead. "You just calm down."

Carly placed her hands on Sonny's face. She pulled into a kiss. "You just come back with him." She said, and watched them leave. She turned back to Stefan. "How is you shoulder?"

"It hurts." Stefan saw the blood on her dress. "Are you hurt?"

"Actually, it's your blood." Carly informed him.

"Thank you for your help." Stefan indicated the scarf.

Carly laughed. "I should be thanking you. You're the one who risked your life to come here and get me." She glanced over towards the rocks. She could barely make out the broken and battered form of Stavros Cassadine. Shuddering, tears streamed down her face. "I hope you rot in hell, you bastard." She screamed.

Stefan struggled against pain to place a hand on her shoulder as she continued to scream at the dead man. She finally turned around and fell against him, sobbing uncontrollably.

                ****

Sonny stood in the hallway. He was getting impatient. "Damn Cassadines and their huge houses." He muttered. "Michael!"

"Uncle Sonny!" A small voice cried from further down the hall.

Sonny rushed forward, followed by the rest. He found the source…and big oak door separating them. He tried the handle and was disgusted when it wouldn't open. Carly had said they would need a key. "Michael, I am here. And so is your Uncle Luke."

"Momma?" He asked.

"She is down on the beach, waiting for you." Sonny promised. "We are going to get you out." He turned back to the others, and lowered his voice. "How? Nothing breaks through oak."

Nikolas leaned by the door. "Michael, is there a window in your room?"

"Yes."

"We can break the window from the outside and get him out that way." Nikolas suggested.

"That's all we got going." Sonny said. He turned back to door. "Michael, we are going to get you out. But I have to go. I'll be right back."

"You're not going to leave for a long time like Momma did are you?" He asked.

"I'll stay here." Luke told him. He whispered to Sonny. "We need someone to talk to him while you break the glass."

Sonny nodded, and he and Jax and Nikolas disappeared.

"Momma is going to be real happy to see you." Luke told him. "She'll squeeze you so tight that you'll squeak."  Michael laughed.  "The glass in the window is going to break but don't be scared." Luke said. "I want you to stay by the door, okay?"

"Okay." Michael promised.

Luke heard the sound of glass breaking. "Who is there?"

"Nikolas." He answered staring at the little boy who was staring back.

"Wow you can fly." Michael exclaimed.

"Not exactly." Nikolas laughed as he finished removing the glass from the window frame. He picked up Michael and walked over to the window. "This here is Jax. He is going to help you the ground." He helped maneuver Michael onto Jax's back. "Just hold onto his neck. It will be like a piggy back ride."

Sonny watched from below as Jax scaled down the latticework with Michael on his back. When they reached ground level, Sonny plucked the boy from his back and held him close. "Let's go to your mother."

                ****

"Bobbie, she's fine." Luke assured her. "And Michael too." He said. "I know you want to talk to her but she is asleep right now." He looked over at his niece who was sleeping in Sonny's arms. Michael was content with talking up a storm with his newfound friends Stefan, and Nikolas. "Our plane is landing in an hour. See you then." He hung up the cell phone.

"Bobbie must be on the moon." Sonny whispered.

"Yep." Luke grinned. "She was screaming my ear off. She'll probably be at the airport with bells on."

"Sounds like Bobbie." The two were silent again.

"I love her." Sonny spoke after a few moments.

"I know." Luke said.

"I am going to marry her again."

"I know." Luke repeated. "This is your last chance Corinthos. If you mess up again and hurt her, I'll personally rip your…"

"You'll do nothing of the sorts." Carly whispered without opening her eyes.

Sonny and Luke looked at each other, with amusement.

"Uncle Sonny, Stefan told me that I'm brave." Michael cried.

"You are." Sonny nodded. "Very brave, and I am so proud you."

"Stefan, I think I owe you a thanks." Luke spoke up. "We have been fighting for many years and I think we accomplished much more when we work together."

"I agree." Stefan offered him his good arm.

Luke shook his hand.

Sonny laughed a little. Two enemies ending a feud… "Hell, why not? Thanks, Candy Boy." He called towards the cockpit.

"Anytime, you two bit gangster." He called back.

Everyone, including the not so asleep Carly, laughed.

                ****

"Stop fusing over me!" Carly protested, as her mother fluffed her pillow. "You heard what Alan said. I am only slightly malnourished, I am not the one with a gunshot wound."

"Stefan got out yesterday." Bobbie sat back down in the chair next to her daughter's hospital bed. "He still got a lot of healing to do but he doesn't like hospitals."

"How is Leticia?" Carly asked.

"She is going to be just fine." Bobbie smiled. "I walked into her room today, and Johnny was helping her eat a meal. She was very lucky."

"We all were." Carly said looking past her mother to see Sonny standing there. She had persuaded him to go home last night after he had made sure she was taken straight to the hospital after they landed in Port Charles. "You still look like hell."

"Same to you." Sonny laughed.

Bobbie stood up. "I leave you two alone." She kissed Sonny's cheek on the way out. "Thank you for saving my daughter."

"Tell Stefan thank you." Carly called.

Bobbie stopped short. "How did you know?"

"I'm your daughter, I'm supposed to know these things." Carly laughed as her mother disappeared. "Hey you."

"Hey you." Sonny sat in the chair.

"Did you sleep at all last night?" Carly asked.

Sonny shook his head. "How about you?"

"Like a baby." She laughed. "But only because you were in my dreams."

"Carly, did he…did he…"

Carly knew what he was trying to say. "No. He didn't get the chance. My protectors showed up." Carly placed a hand on his arm. "None of this is your fault, so don't ever think that." She was silent for a moment. "Did you mean it?"

"What?"

"What you said on the plane yesterday?" Carly reminded him. "That you were going to marry me again."

"I meant it." He leaned in for a kiss.

Carly placed her hand on his lips to stop him. "I'll be your wife on one condition."

"Name it."

"That we never go to bed angry." She said. "Ever…"

"I can live with that." He said placing a soft kiss on her lips. "I love you."

"I love you too."


	12. Epilogue

Author's Note: This is just a short little piece to wrap up the story.  I had a different won written at first but I didn't like it very much.  I want to thank everyone who was nice enough to leave replies! I am glad that you all enjoyed the story! 

Epilogue – A little over a year later        

Carly Corinthos sat on the couch looking at the fireplace.  Or rather looking at the mantle above the fire place.  Without thinking, she rubbed her swollen stomach and was rewarded by a solid kick from her son.  He was to arrive any day now and Carly knew that her family would be complete. 

The mantle was filled with the photos of the people she loved and cared about.  On her right, was her and Sonny's wedding photo.  They had chosen to get married in Port Charles this time at Queen of Angels Church, surrounded by friends and family. Carly had persuaded Sonny to let her have a big church wedding. She remembered the day fondly. Luke was Sonny's best man, and Gia and Alexis were Carly's bridesmaids.  Michael was the ring bearer and Lesley Lu was the flower girl.  Bobbie walked Carly down the aisle.  But all those details didn't matter to Carly.  As soon as she looked into Sonny's eyes she forgot about all the people in the church.  It was just him and her…confessing their love for another and promising to stand by each other for the rest of their life.

The next photo on the mantle was of the first sonogram of Baby Boy Corinthos.  Carly jumped for joy the day she learned that she was pregnant.  When she told Sonny, he cried.  He was so happy that he was getting another chance.  The sonogram proved that the baby was going to be a boy and Carly couldn't be happier.  She would have loved a daughter but she knew that being surrounded by the men she loved would bring her so much joy.  

Carly's eyes fell on a picture of her mother.  It was too a wedding photo and Bobbie promised Carly that this was her last one.  She too was remarrying someone she thought she lost.  She and Stefan were married in the gardens of Wyndermere.  Carly was so happy when her mother announced she was marrying Stefan. Luke was still a little leery but Carly was over the moon.  Bobbie was happy and so was Stefan.  They lived at Wyndermere knowing that Helena could do know more harm.  They happy couple was about to adopt a five year old girl to complete their family.  She would be arriving next month.  In a family that usually honored bloodlines, Stefan couldn't have cared less.  He was out to prove that the Cassadine terror was over and he was throwing out the rule book.  Stefan already loved his daughter dearly.  Carly was excited to know that she was about to become a big sister.  She was sure that her sister's photo would be the next to be added to the already crowded mantle.

Nikolas and Gia also had their place.  They were the next ones to be married.  Carly was busy helping Gia get ready for their big day which was going to happen next summer.  It promised to be a grand affair and no one would expect less from Carly and Gia.  She was glad that she and the model had decided to try friendship again.  The first time they had failed but so much had changed by the second time that they couldn't help but bond.  She had already asked Gia to be the godmother of her baby boy.

Leticia, the woman who had fought so hard to keep Carly's son away from the Quartermaines also had a place on Carly's mantle and her heart.  Carly was so grateful for all Leticia had done for her and was so happy when Johnny and her got married.  She still was Michael's nanny, and was looking forward to help Carly with the new arrival.  Leticia herself planned to have little ones of her own very soon.  

As much as Sonny disliked it at first, there was also a picture of the Jacks family.  He may have thanked Jax for his help in finding Carly but that didn't make them buddies.  Carly became friends with Jax and Alexis so she insisted that a photo of them be placed on HER mantle.  It included Jax, Alexis and their baby boy Alexander.  Alexis found out she was pregnant a few days after Carly returned.  He was a splitting image of his father and Carly and Alexis joked that he was going to grow up to be a heartbreaker.  

The last photo on the mantle was a large one.  It was originally Bobbie's idea and she had no trouble convincing Carly to take part.  It took awhile to convince Luke though but after a few weeks he gave in.  The picture was of all the Spencers and their loved ones.  Bobbie and Luke were the original Spencers but the family grew to one of a large size.  Luke, Laura, Lucky, Elizabeth, Lulu, Lesley, Bobbie, Stefan, Nikolas, Gia, Lucas, Carly, and Sonny were all a part of the photo that was taken one sunny afternoon last fall.  Carly was already planning another one in a few years time to see how each family had grown.  

She was staring so intently at her life in photos that she didn't even hear Sonny come up behind her.  He had been in the kitchen fixing her something to eat.  He was going to make sure that she ate properly during her pregnancy.

"Is something wrong?" He asked noticing his wife's look.  To him he looked like she was staring into the fire.

Carly jumped a little and turned around.  She smiled at her husband, the one who had been there for her ever since she had come back.  He held her when she had nightmares and kept his promise that they would never go to bed angry.  She held out her arms and he sat down.  She pulled him close and smiled. "Nothing's wrong…everything is perfect!"

THE END


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